One of the most important annual festivals in Sri Lanka, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is a colourful cultural event that is celebrated throughout the island. Look to embark on your Sri Lanka travel adventures during the month of April which is when this festival takes place. A great way to see the sights of this event is by taking Sri Lanka tours organised by Jetwing Travels which provide a truly authentic holiday experience. Generally falling on April 13th and 14th, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is a time for family reunions, observing religious customs, making traditional sweet meats and of course engaging in fun community games. The observance of customs such as boiling milk and lighting of the traditional oil lamp are done according to a …

The Balinese temples host an ‘Odalan’, every 210 days, on the day of the birth of the temple. It is a sanctimonious affair in which Hindus honour the Hindu gods by decorating the shrines. Tourists will enjoy experiencing the rich culture of Indonesia if they were to participate in the temple celebrations. Usually temple celebrations span over three days and the system used to calculate the day of the ceremony is the Full Moon calendar. Since the ceremony is a tribute to Hindu gods all of the shrines are decorated for this event. The Hindu gods’ figurines are adorned with colourful pieces of cloth and gold coins. In front of the shrine, depending on which gods are being worshipped, there will be black, red or …

Travellers visiting Wuhan in China are enthralled by its ability to demonstrate its old world charm intermingling with modernity. Wuhan is peppered with a number of attractions tailor-made for ardent explorers and is truly an intriguing place to visit for, regardless of when you visit this region, there will always be various festivals and events that allow tourists a valuable insight into the beautiful culture of the area. If you are thinking about visiting Wuhan early next year, the Chinese New Year celebrations are not to be missed! Join in the festivities as the locals’ herald the dawn of the New Year according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar with colourful dragon dances and rituals as well as the lighting of beautiful fire crackers and fireworks …

Festivals are unique expressions of a community’s or a country’s cultural traditions. There are seasonal festivals determined by lunar calendars and cycle of the seasons and festivals rooted in religious beliefs. People in Tianjin celebrate many such festivals that have been a part of their culture and beliefs for a very long time. Along with the whole of China, Tianjin celebrates the Spring Festival on Feb 13th, the first day of the first lunar month that is also Chinese New Years’ eve. Family members return home, exchange hongbao or red envelopes with money, remember their ancestors, give their houses a thorough clean up and partake of specially made holiday food. Dragon and lion dances, lantern parades, temple fairs are part of the festivities highlighted by …

A festival void of unnecessary gaieties and blast, the Vesak Day is celebrated by the Buddhist scattered the world over, with great reverence and veneration. Vesak marks the most important day of the Buddhist calendar, in which the birth, enlightenment and the death of the Buddha is commemorated with great joy and meditation. In Singapore, the Vesak day is celebrated usually on the 15th day of the 4th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Many good deeds are performed on this sacred day by the Buddhists as they believe that such deeds will multiply in worth many times over when performed on this day. Hence caged birds and animals meant for slaughter are released, vegetarian meals are savored and blood donations are organized and participated …

Hong Kong is very much a modern cosmopolitan city but its predominantly Chinese heritage means that a number of Chinese festivals are enthusiastically celebrated. Even in this modern age, the people of Hong Kong adhere to ancient customs, celebrating festivals by visiting temples, engaging in or watching lion and dragon dancing, and burning large amounts of incense. One of the most popular and widely celebrated occasions for the people of this city is the distinctive Tin Hau Festival. Also known as the Birthday of Tin Hau, this festive occasion occurs on the third month’s 23rd day on the lunar calendar; its date on the Western calendar in 2014 is the 22nd April. Tin Hau is in fact the Goddess of the Seas and is also …